Judicial Watch’s Legal Team files lawsuits and amicus briefs to hold federal, state, and local government entities accountable in several areas, including:

Government Transparency. Law-breaking thrives with secrecy. Judicial Watch fights government secrecy through litigation under FOIA (Freedom of Information Act), state Open Records Acts, and related transparency laws. Representative issues and cases:

Rule of Law. Judicial Watch fights rampant law-breaking resulting from the willful non-enforcement of laws, whether due to selective enforcement or institutional failure. Open law-breaking harms the public and creates a culture of lawlessness, which leads to increases in criminal conduct. Representative issues and cases:

Illegal Immigration – Opposing state and local illegal alien sanctuary policies and extension of government benefits to aliens, and defending states that enforce our laws from attacks by groups who prefer lawlessness. Fonseca v. Fong, LAPD, Arizona SB 1070, In-State Tuition

Election Integrity – Taking on states that enable vote fraud through lack of voter list maintenance or failure to require voter ID; and defending states that take election integrity seriously from left-wing attacks. Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Tennessee

State Marijuana Legalization – States may not profit from taxing and regulating violations of federal law within their jurisdiction. Arizona Medical Marijuana

Illegal Racial Preferences – Opposing state college attempts to violate the constitution with race-based admissions policies. University of Texas at Austin

Separation of Powers. Judicial Watch fights against government actions that violate the strict boundaries designed to reign in government power. This includes both the separations between federal and state action, as well as checks on power between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government at both the federal and state levels. Representative issues and cases:

Public Corruption. Judicial Watch fights the improper use and abuse of public office for personal gain or partisan political interest in a way that violates the public trust. Representative issues and cases: